Apparatus for increasing the resistance of electric arcs.



A. B. HtHRlCK.

. APPARATUS FOR INCREASING THE RESISTANCE 0F ELECTRIC ARCS.

APPucATloy man MAR. 23, 1918. 1,318,147.

Patented 0011,1919.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AL BERT B. HERRICK, OF BROOKLYN, N YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE ELECTRIC RAILWAY IMPROVEMENT COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A. CORPORATION OF OHIO.

APPARATUS FOR INCREASING THE RESISTANCE OF-ELECTRIC ARCS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT B. HERRIGK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn,- countyof Kings, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement inApparatus for Increasing the Resistance of Electric Arcs, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

invention is to provide a means of alter nately increasing and decreasing the resistance' across an arc in order to effect an intermittent operation of the arc, the are be ing made and broken automatically without the use of any moving mechanism. The advantages and uses of such a method are numerous and will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the various branches of electricity and the only adaption which I have here described. being to the art of welding, and more specifically to the weld.- ing of a bond to a rail joint. To the accomplishmentof the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists in the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forthin detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

of my apparatus, other portions of the same being-shown in elevation, and also dlagram- Specification er Iietters Patent. t t tf7,1 1

' original application filed March 30,1917, Serial No.'158,626.' Divided and this application filed March 23,

i 1918. Serial No. 224,286.

from the trolley wire or third rail, and (passing'this current through the bond an the portion of the rail to which it is to be applied. These attempts have always failed except where some means was found in interrupting the current flow to prevent overheating and melting of the bond, and various apparatus have been-devised for thus interrupting the continuit of the current. By the use of my present invention it becomes possible to automatically interrupt the current flow and thus produce anintermittent and effective action of this current on the heating of the bond and the rail, roducing in this way an efi'ective union tween the two without any burning or melting of the bond, and without heating-the bond before the contacting portion of the rail has been raised to the desired temperature.

In Fig; 1 I have shown a rail 1 which is connected to the negative pole of a generator 2 which is connected to the trolley wire or third rail, the circuit being indicated by matically; Fig. 2 is a perspective view from above of my apparatus as constructed for welding a bond to a rail; and Fig. 3 is a section on the line .33 in Fig. 1.

For the sake of clearness and convenience I have shown, and will now describe, my invention as'a'pplied to. the bondingof a rail, .but it will be appreciated that the invention the line 4. In the circuit there is disposed a re-actance coil 5, and the current is sent from this coil to the coil.6 of an electro-magnet, the magnet 11 ofwhich is curved in the manner indicated in Fig. 2 with the two poles facing each other and spaced but a short distance apart. The current from the coil of the electro-magnet is carried to an electrode 7, between which and a contact memher 8 of suitable refractory material, the arc is produced. This contact member is placed against the terminal of the bond 9, and when the arc is produced between the electrode and v and produce a welding temperature therein.

The electro-magnet is so p aced that, when energized, it will establish an electro-magnet 'field between the two electrodes (when spaced for arching) so that a considerable resistance to passage of the arc is set up.

' electro-magnet is also designed to exert v a strong repulsion to the arc and there-f sult will be an increase; in the resistance across the are due to theli'nes of. force of the v magnetic field and also to the greater length of are caused by the arching of the arc b 4 the repulsion of the electro-magnet.

, Thelefiect of this increase in resistance 1 will proportional to its intensity, andlif sufiicient then the arc will be ruptured'or blown out. As soon as broken the magnetreestablish itself be repeated. The periodicity of the action will depend upon the circuit conditions and upon the strength and position of---'the electro-magnet which can-be varied as desired. The contact member 8 and the forward Lend-of the electrode 7 are inclosed within a casing 10 provided with lateral apertures through which pass the poles of the magnet 11.' These poles are disposed on either side of the end of the electrode 7 and the contact member 8, thelatter being provided with a small conical rojection extending toward theelectrode. y thus inclosing the arc and the electrodes the reestablishment of strap or socket 12 attached to the electrothe arc after rupture is greatly facilitated as will be readily appreciated. -'The electrode is slidably carried in a supporting magnet,.while also attached to the electromagnetis a second socket 13 which will adjustably carry theelectrode 7,"the adjust-. men-t being made by means of a screw-30 to take up for wear on the electrode.

The operation of the device is as follows: The circuit is closed, thus passing the current 7 through the electrode to the contact member, and producing an are between these two points, as soon as the resistance of the air gap is broken down. These membersare so spaced that the resistance necessary to bridge this air gap requires a drop of about v0lts. At the same time the electro-mag- 7 net is energized and the poles of this magnet wil-l operate upon the are produced be tween the members 7 and 8 to deflect it from a straight path between these two e1ements and cause it to form a'semi-circle betvgeen' thesetwo lying on the side of the electrode opposite to whichever is of the movement of the electrode 7 and the deflection of the are caused by the pull of the poles 11, will so greatly increase the path of travel of this arc, that the'resistance will be very much increased and the voltage drop willvbe increased from 50.volts to about250.

- by the of this length and high resistance, it will be able to blow out or snufi out the arc and thus break the circuit. The breaking of the I circuit denergizes the magnet and the arc is-readily reestablished. The magnet will then be againenergized and will withdraw the electrode, thus again producing an arc between the electrode 2 and the contact member 8. This operation will be automatically repeated as long as the circuit is closed through the generator.

It will be obvious that my method is not restricted to the present application and may be used for other purposes and in other apparatus wherever it is desired -to secure an automatic but intermittent action of amachine operated by an electric current. By"

means of the present apparatus, however, it is possible to weld bonds on rails veryeffectively, since the action is wholly automatic and if the machine is properly de signed will break and reestablish the are at such intervals as to produce an intermittent but even heating of the contact member 8 which in turn raises the temperature of to bond and of that portion of the rail against which it is pressed, to a welding temperatures .The are between the electrode and the contact member 8, when once broken down, will remain so and will not ofier' as much resistance as at first to the establishment of the electric arc. Thus there is little delay or difiiculty experienced in the reestablishment of the electric are after it has been blown out by the electro-magnet.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the steps or mechanism herein dis-,

1. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of two spaced electrodes, means adapted to produce an electric are between the same, and other means adapted to intermittently increase and decrease the distance between said electrodes and the resistance of suchare, said last- I named means being automatically operable current flowing through said elec trodes;

2. In apparatus of the character described, the. combination of two spaced electrodes, means adapted to produce an electric are between the same, and 'electro-magnetic means adapted to intermittently increase and decrease the distance between said electrodes and to additionally increase the length of said are.

3. -Inapparatus of the character described, the combination of two spaced electrodes, means adapted to produce an'electric arc between the same, and electro-magmagnetic means adapted to intermittently increase and decrease'the distance between said electrodes and the. resistance of such arc, said electro-magnetic means being connected in series with one of said electrodes, and being also disposed to establish an electro-magnet'ic field between said electrodes when energized. V I

-5. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of two spaced electrodes, means adapted to .produce'an electric are between the same, and other means adapted to intermittently increase and decrease the distance'between'said electrodes and the resistance of such arc, and electromagnetic means connected in series with one of said electrodes and being constructed and disposed to rupture such are when established andto then permit such are to reestablish. 1

v 6. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of two spaced electrodes, an electro-magnet disposed about one of said electrodes and positioned to set up a magnetic field across the space between said electrodes, said electro-magnet being connected in series with onejof said electrodes and being adapted to further space said electrodes when energized, and an inclosure for the adjacent ends of said ,electrodes. Signed by me, this 19th day of March,

' 1 ALBERT B. HERRICK. 

